DHA status of vegetarians

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of pregnancy in adolescents on the fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membrane, which was used as a proxy for status of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and also on the composition of plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) mobilized from the adipose tissue. Two matched groups of healthy adolescents (14–19 years) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were compared: pregnant (n=26; 32.7±3.9 weeks of gestation, mean±SD) and non-pregnant (n=20). Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast. Mean dietary intakes of total fat and n-3 and n-6 PUFA (energy %) were not different between pregnant and non-pregnant adolescents, and the consumption of food sources of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was low. Fasting total NEFA and NEFA 18:2n-6, 18:3n-6 and 20:4n-6 (g/100 g fatty acids) were higher in pregnant than in non-pregnant adolescents. Although erythrocyte 20:4n-6 was lower in pregnant adolescents, there were no differences in DHA (g/100 g fatty acids), in DHA status indices (22:5n-6/22:4n-6 and 22:6n-3/22:5n-6 ratios) and in the index of n-3+n-6 PUFA status (Σn-3+Σn-6]/Σn-7+Σn-9]) in erythrocytes as compared with those of non-pregnant adolescents. In conclusion, pregnancy did not have an adverse effect on erythrocyte DHA content or on DHA and n-3+n-6 PUFA status indices in the adolescents studied.